Protective shoe cover

ABSTRACT

A protective shoe cover is disclosed, and includes a sole portion and an upper portion integrally attached to the sole portion. The upper portion includes an opening having a length and width sufficient for receiving a shoe therein. The protective shoe cover also includes fastening means for fastening it to the shoe, whereby a wearer may tighten the opening and encapsulate the shoe in the protective shoe cover.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/787,828, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to shoe covers and, more particularly, to shoe covers for protecting athletic shoes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Athletic shoes are often desired for aesthetic appeal in addition to, or instead of for their utilitarian purposes. However, athletic shoes can be very expensive, and become damaged through normal wear and tear and/or through athletic activity. Hence, it is desired to provide an efficient, cost-effective protective cover that will prevent or minimize the damage to a shoe, thereby allowing the shoe to retain its aesthetic appeal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The protective shoe cover of the present invention includes a sole portion having a bottom, a front wall, a back sole wall, a lateral sole wall and a medial sole wall. The protective shoe cover further includes an upper portion integrally attached to the sole portion, the upper portion including a back upper wall, a lateral upper wall, and a medial upper wall. The lateral upper wall and medial upper wall are integrally joined to form a front portion of the protective shoe cover, which forms a toe section with the bottom of the sole portion. The back upper wall, lateral upper wall, and medial upper wall form an opening in the protective shoe cover, the opening having a length and width sufficient for receiving a shoe therein. The protective shoe cover also includes fastening means for fastening it to the shoe. The fastening means enable a wearer to tighten the opening and encapsulate the shoe in the protective shoe cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further explained with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like structures are referred to by like numerals throughout the several views. The drawings shown are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary shoe cover according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the shoe cover of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe cover illustrated in FIG. 2, as taken along section line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe cover illustrated in FIG. 2, as taken along section line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe cover illustrated in FIG. 2, as taken along section line 5-5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe cover illustrated in FIG. 2, as taken along section line 6-6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a side environmental view of the shoe cover illustrated in FIG. 1, as shown in use with a shoe; and

FIG. 8 is a top environmental view of the shoe cover illustrated in FIG. 2, as shown in use with a shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-6 illustrate an athletic shoe cover 10 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The shoe cover 10 is made of a material that facilitates its protective coverage of a shoe. The shoe cover 10 is made of a water-resistant material, for example, rubber, vinyl, or plastic. The material of the shoe cover 10 is also translucent (e.g., translucent rubber or other materials) such that at least a portion of a shoe will be visible through the shoe cover 10.

In one embodiment, the shoe cover 10 includes a sole portion 12 integrally connected to an upper portion 14. The sole portion 12 has a bottom 16, a front wall 18, a back sole wall 20, a lateral sole wall 22 (shown in FIGS. 4-6), and a medial sole wall 24. A tread 26 is provided on at least a portion of the downward facing surface of the bottom 16 for improved gripping ability (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 7).

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-6, the upper portion 14 includes a back upper wall 28, a lateral upper wall 30 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4-6), and a medial upper wall 32. A pull tab (not shown) may be attached to the back upper wall 28 to facilitate insertion and removal of a shoe from the shoe cover 10. The lateral and medial upper walls 30, 32 are integrally joined at a front portion 34 of the shoe cover 10 and, in conjunction with the front sole bottom 16, form a toe section 36. The back upper wall 28 and lateral and medial upper walls 30, 32 form an opening 38 in the shoe cover 10 that is adapted to receive a shoe (e.g., an athletic shoe). The opening 38 is wide enough and long enough to receive a shoe.

The shoe cover 10 includes fastening means disposed on the shoe upper portion 14. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the fastening means include straps 40, 42 having conventional hook and loop type fasteners (e.g., VELCRO) to secure the straps 40, 42 in a closed position. However, any conventional fastening means may be employed so long as it does not interfere with the operation or protection provided by the shoe cover 10. The strap 40 is disposed proximate the opening 38, and the strap 42 is disposed proximate the front portion 34 of the shoe cover 10. The straps 40, 42 are unfastened and opened so that the opening 38 is free to receive a user's shoe. After a user places his or her shoe in the opening 38 and completely inside the shoe cover 10, the straps 40, 42 are extended across the upper portion 14 and secured thereto by closing the hook and loop type fasteners, to thereby tighten the opening 38 around the user's shoe and encapsulate the shoe. Since the shoe cover 10 is made from a water-resistant material, the shoe is protected from water and other damage.

FIGS. 3-6 are cross-sectional views of various portions of the shoe cover 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 that illustrate various structural features discussed above. However, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, these cross-sectional views do not include the straps 40, 42 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7 and 8, which are environmental views of the shoe cover 10 in use with a shoe S. The straps 40, 42 have been extended across and secured to the upper portion 14 such that the shoe S is firmly encapsulated in the shoe cover 10. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a portion of the shoe S is visible through the material of the shoe cover 10. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a portion of the shoe S is also visible through the material of the shoe cover 10. The translucent material from which the shoe cover 10 is formed allows a user to retain the aesthetic appeal of the shoe S by displaying the shoe S, while simultaneously protecting the shoe S.

It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention, as set out in the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. A protective shoe cover, comprising: a sole portion having a bottom, a front wall, a back sole wall, a lateral sole wall and a medial sole wall; an upper portion integrally attached to said sole portion, said upper portion including a back upper wall, a lateral upper wall, and a medial upper wall, said lateral upper wall and said medial upper wall being integrally joined to form a front portion of said protective shoe cover, said front portion forming a toe section with said bottom of said sole portion, and said back upper wall, said lateral upper wall, and said medial upper wall forming an opening in said protective shoe cover, said opening having a length and width sufficient for receiving a shoe therein; and fastening means for fastening said protective shoe cover to the shoe.
 2. The protective shoe cover of claim 1, wherein said protective shoe cover is made from a translucent material, whereby at least a portion of the shoe is visible through said protective shoe cover.
 3. The protective shoe cover of claim 1, wherein said protective shoe cover is made from a water-resistant material.
 4. The protective shoe cover of claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes first fastening means disposed on said upper portion proximate said opening of said protective shoe cover, and second fastening means disposed on said upper portion proximate said front portion of said protective shoe cover.
 5. The protective shoe cover of claim 4, wherein said first fastening means includes a first strap and said second fastening means includes a second strap that is larger than said first strap, said first strap and said second strap having hook and loop fasteners thereon.
 6. The protective shoe cover of claim 5, wherein said first strap and said second strap are extendable across said upper portion and securable to said upper portion, whereby said opening is tightened to encapsulate the shoe within said protective shoe cover.
 7. The protective shoe cover of claim 1, wherein said bottom of said sole portion includes a downward facing surface, and wherein a tread is provided on said downward facing surface.
 8. The protective shoe cover of claim 1, wherein said protective shoe cover is configured to cover a high-top athletic shoe.
 9. The protective shoe cover of claim 1, wherein said protective shoe cover is configured to cover a low-top athletic shoe.
 10. In combination, an athletic shoe and a protective shoe cover, said protective shoe cover including a sole portion having a bottom, a front wall, a back sole wall, a lateral sole wall and a medial sole wall; an upper portion integrally attached to said sole portion, said upper portion including a back upper wall, a lateral upper wall, and a medial upper wall, said lateral upper wall and said medial upper wall being integrally joined to form a front portion of said protective shoe cover, said front portion forming a toe section with said bottom of said sole portion, and said back upper wall, said lateral upper wall, and said medial upper wall forming an opening in said protective shoe cover, said opening having a length and width sufficient for receiving a shoe therein; first fastening means disposed on said upper portion proximate said opening of said protective shoe cover, said first fastening means including a first strap; and second fastening means disposed on said upper portion proximate said front portion of said protective shoe cover, said second fastening means including a second strap that is larger than said first strap, and said first strap and said second strap having hook and loop fasteners thereon, wherein said first strap and said second strap are extendable across said upper portion and securable to said upper portion, whereby said opening is tightened to encapsulate said shoe in said protective shoe cover. 